Fibre to the node

In contrast, the Coalition has long advocated for a fibre to the node (FttN) network, a system which relies upon the existing copper network and theoretically has peak speeds of around 100 megabits per second.

It could be rolled out faster, but means fibre would not run past every home and would be subject to degradation similar to existing ADSL broadband connections.

Internet speeds would drop the further you are from the exchange/node.

In his interview with AM, Mr Turnbull said the goal was to ensure all Australians had access to at least 25 megabits per second.

"[25 megabits per second] will enable anybody in residential situations to do everything they want to do or need to do in terms of applications and services, and is six times faster than the average speed people are getting right now," he said.

"[But it would] be a more expensive network to maintain over the long term because you're using much more sophisticated... technology to try and get the very best performance you can out of that copper which is an ageing asset," Mr Quigley said.

People could connect their homes directly to the fibre network under the Opposition's plans, but Mr Turnbull has estimated it would cost thousands of dollars.

"The sort of person that would want to do that would be the very rare example on a residential area of somebody that has a very high bandwidth-demanding business, [like] an architect or a software designer," he said.

"That cost-benefit analysis ought to look at what the benefits are not just in terms of say simple performance but on the outcomes, improved outcomes for education, improved outcomes for health," Mr Dalby said.

"It seems to me that common sense will prevail and we could see a... continuation with a change of shareholder in effect but with the plan continuing as it is."

You have no doubt been hearing a lot about the Paris Agreement and know that it pertains to climate change, but are too embarrassed at this stage to ask for an overall explanation of what it's all about.